Team Fortress Tips - A guide for new players
(updated!)

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From: RedMage323 | #036IceMage20 posted...That's probably because the Advanced window from the Multiplayer tab has been moved over to its own main menu button, labeled "Adv. Options." If only I could still edit the first post...

It's the same list, and I still don't see anything about fast switching

Since a lot of people are (still) asking questions about the drop system, I thought I'd include some further information about it here. If anyone objects, I can delete this post.

What can I do to influence random drops?Random drops are based on playtime alone. There is no in-game metric that influences random drops.

According to the TF2 team, this was done for two basic reasons. First, tracking in-game performance is near-impossible because servers can easily use plugins or modifications that lie about these things. Second, the TF2 team did not want to have any influence on how people played the game, and they believe that any in-game performance tracking would have an inherent bias toward specific classes, maps, or tactics.

How often will I get drops?What varies is time between drops. Players are guaranteed to find items at intervals between 30 to 70 minutes, with an average interval of about 50 minutes.

What is the drop cap?The drop cap is based on time played. There is no cap on the amount of items that can be received per week. The cap has been estimated to be around 10 to 11 hours a week. Playtime beyond the cap will not lead to more drops. Playing less than the cap carries over any leftover time to a maximum of double the normal cap (20 to 22 hours).

Have I reached my drop cap?The cap is around 10 to 11 hours a week. To be absolutely certain that you have hit your cap, try to determine about how much time has passed since your last drop. Remember, the maximum time interval between drops is 70 minutes.

How many drops will I find a week?Most players report finding between 7 to 12 drops a week.

However, assuming a cap of 10 hours, the number of drops has a theoretical minimum of about 4 and a theoretical maximum of about 20, not including additional drops caused by Achievement milestones or Duel Mini-game victories.

When does the cap reset?The cap resets at approximately Thursday 0:00 AM GMT, or around Wednesday 19:00 (7:00 PM) EST or Wednesday 16:00 (4:00 PM) PST

Why can't I find my drop in my backpack?Drops (and any item obtained via trading, crafting, etc.) may seem to disappear temporarily. This can usually be solved by dying in a server, disconnecting from a server, or visiting the Mann Co store.

What are the other ways to get items?Gaining an achievement milestone automatically drops a specific item tied to that milestone. Winning 10 Dueling Mini-games automatically gives another 5-use Dueling Mini-game and a random drop item. Obtaining items this way does not affect the drop schedule or drop cap for random item drops.

Do items drop at different rates?Yes. Weapons or items that make up an "item set" are known to drop at different rates relative to one another. Items that are not in an "item set" are believed to drop at the same rate.

What about crates, hats, tools, etc.?Crates have been confirmed to drop on a different schedule, so finding a crate does not mean you were cheated out of a different drop. Tools (paints, name tags, dueling mini-games) and cosmetic items (hats) are believed to drop on a separate schedule as well, but it has not been confirmed.

In case there's another double-drop week, how do double-drops work?During "double drop weeks," the interval between drops is halved, becoming 15 to 35 minutes instead of 30 to 70 minutes. The cap on time remains unchanged. Therefore, you should find about twice as many items as usual.

When becoming a premium member, put $5 dollars in your Steam account, then buy either 2 keys or 1 black paint (if it costs $5), then trade it for metal. You can get up to 4 refined and 2 reclaimed. Then separate the metal into scrap metal, go to a trade server, and scrapbank, meaning give out one scrap metal for two random weapons. Make sure the weapons you get are craftable.